FEMALE FREE DIVERS SPEND THEIR TIME EXPLORING PARTS OF THE OCEAN MOST OF US NEVER SEE. NOW, THEY'RE FIGHTING TO SAVE IT.

By Lale Arikoglu

March 8, 2018

When Kimi Werner slips to the bottom of the ocean, she looks for the light. “I steal glances up at the sun,” she says. “It’s just magic, the way it dances across everything.” On a single breath of air—one meant to last almost five minutes underwater—she lets herself drop down to 150 feet, the flickers of sunlight slowly dimming. The deeper she goes, the more the pressure increases, the ocean tightening around her. But rather than resist it, she embraces it. “At first, it would make me feel kind of uncomfortable, but once I relaxed into it, I just felt so good—the ocean would just squeeze me and hold me and hug me the deeper that I went.”

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dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedSat, 31 Mar 2018 10:50:49 +0000How to Survive a Shark Attackhttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/how-to-survive-a-shark-attack
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/how-to-survive-a-shark-attackAhhhh…. life couldn’t be better. You’re finally on that vacation in the Florida Keys that you’ve been planning for the past year. And it couldn’t have come any sooner. Things were getting crazy at the office.

Duh-da…

You’re relaxing on a rubber raft that’s floating about 50 yards from shore while you let the sun rays wash all your cares away.

Duh-da…

You decide to head back to the resort to challenge your wife to a game of volleyball, but then you see something swimming towards you underwater…

Duh-da duh-da duh-da duh-da

HOLY CRAP! IT’S A FREAKING SHARK!!!!!

You start to wish you were back at the office.

]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedTue, 20 Mar 2018 18:50:20 +0000Take the Navy SEAL Underwater Knot Tying Testhttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/take-the-navy-seal-underwater-knot-tying-test
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/take-the-navy-seal-underwater-knot-tying-testPotential Navy SEALs face many challenges during BUD/s (Basic Underwater Demolition/Navy Seal Training) as they become schooled in swimming, diving, parachuting, and enduring grueling physical exercise. Another challenge every candidate must complete is the Underwater Knot Tying Test. During the first phase of BUD/s, students are taught five knots–the Bowline, Square Knot, Becket’s Bend, Clove Hitch, and Right Angle–which they’re required to tie one at a time underwater, each on a single breath hold.

How would you do on this test? Why not take it yourself and find out? Below, we provide instructions in both photograph and video form on how to tie the five required knots, and then set down the test conditions you’d experience at BUD/s, along with a video demonstrating how the test is performed.

MS. KRISTA TIPPETT, HOST: She's known affectionately by her fellow scientists as "Her Deepness." The oceanographer Sylvia Earle earned this nickname in 1979. That year, she became the first — and still the only — person to walk solo on the bottom of the world — on the ocean floor — under a quarter mile of water — 600 pounds of pressure per square inch. She's watched humanity's enduring fascination with "outer space"; while she has delighted in "inner space" — the alien and increasingly endangered worlds beneath earth's waters. These frontiers, as Sylvia Earle points out, are our very life-support system. She takes us inside the knowledge she's gathered there in her 76 years.

DR. SYLVIA EARLE: That's the joy of being a scientist and explorer. You do what little children do: you ask questions. Like who, what, why, when, where, how? [laughs]. And you never stop and you never cease being surprised. It's just impossible to be bored.

]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedThu, 15 Mar 2018 19:17:36 +0000Her Deepness - Sylvia Earlehttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/her-deepness-sylvia-earle
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/her-deepness-sylvia-earleMS. KRISTA TIPPETT, HOST: She's known affectionately by her fellow scientists as "Her Deepness." The oceanographer Sylvia Earle earned this nickname in 1979. That year, she became the first — and still the only — person to walk solo on the bottom of the world — on the ocean floor — under a quarter mile of water — 600 pounds of pressure per square inch. She's watched humanity's enduring fascination with "outer space"; while she has delighted in "inner space" — the alien and increasingly endangered worlds beneath earth's waters. These frontiers, as Sylvia Earle points out, are our very life-support system. She takes us inside the knowledge she's gathered there in her 76 years.

DR. SYLVIA EARLE: That's the joy of being a scientist and explorer. You do what little children do: you ask questions. Like who, what, why, when, where, how? [laughs]. And you never stop and you never cease being surprised. It's just impossible to be bored.

MS. TIPPETT: And you're still diving, aren't you?

DR. EARLE: Well, yeah. I breathe. So I can dive. [laughter]

MS. TIPPETT: I'm Krista Tippett. This is On Being — from APM, American Public Media.

]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedThu, 15 Mar 2018 19:12:57 +0000Diving the B-29 Bomberhttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/diving-the-b-29-bomber
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/diving-the-b-29-bomberCaptain Robert Madison and his four crew members flew the Superfortress 270 miles east to Lake Mead. Once there, the pilot repeatedly climbed to altitudes as great as 35,000ft and immediately plunged back down to the lake’s surface before leveling out at a 100-300ft elevation. These were incredibly risky and challenging flights, but it was the only way to test the missile guidance system developed at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University.

But on the last descent, the wind had picked up a little, and with the bright sun gleaming off the mirror surface of the lake, the captain lost his depth perception. The B-29 skipped and hopped across the lake’s surface at more than 230 miles per hour, ripping off three large engines. This harrowing crash landing had the plane traveling for more than three-quarters of a mile up the lake, before coming to its final stop. While floating on the surface for a few minutes, the five-man crew escaped into two small life rafts, before B-29 Serial No. 45-21847 sank to the black and cold bottom of Lake Mead.

Capping the southern tip of the sprawling continent of Africa is a diverse, multicultural nation with a 2735-kilometer/1700-mile coastline on two oceans. South Africa’s waters beckon scuba divers to enter its wild and wooly realm. The dive experience here is as varied as the people, running the gamut from big sharks to throngs of tiny sardines. You’ll find tropical reefs in the northeast and temperate rocky reefs in the west. Some of the best diving here involves colder water, strong currents and launching from the surf – bring your appetite for adventure and reap the rewards of marine life encounters you’ll remember for a lifetime.

Some of the very best dives in the world are found in South Africa. If you’ve ever been interested in diving with large creatures in epic seascapes, you’ve come to the right place. Off the coast of Gansbaai you have the opportunity to cage dive with massive great white sharks. Near False Bay you can enjoy warm water and vast kelp forests. Cape fur seals and sharks dodge and weave through the expanse of seaweed, making for an exhilarating and dreamlike dive.

]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedThu, 22 Feb 2018 21:22:18 +00005 Packing Tips for Scuba Diving Vacationshttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/5-packing-tips-for-scuba-diving-vacations
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/5-packing-tips-for-scuba-diving-vacationsAnyone who has taken a few scuba vacations knows: Anything bad that can happen on a scuba trip is likely to happen — unless you take steps to ensure Murphy’s Law doesn’t apply. Here are quick tips to help you steer clear:
]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedThu, 08 Feb 2018 21:27:28 +0000How To Pack Your Scuba Diving Gear and Equipment for Travelhttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/how-to-pack-your-scuba-diving-gear-and-equipment-for-travel
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/how-to-pack-your-scuba-diving-gear-and-equipment-for-travelPacking for dive travel presents a conundrum. Spread before you is a vast arsenal, each piece essential to fulfilling your travel fantasy. To bring along all of the regulators, wetsuits, computers, masks, fins and camera equipment and other scuba gear necessary for a serious dive mission (along with their backups and batteries), you’ll need a fleet of roller bags — and a Sherpa. But your airline has strict limits on the amount, size and weight of luggage, and violating its limits can add up to an astronomical cost. How can you make it all fit?
]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedThu, 08 Feb 2018 21:21:20 +0000World's longest underwater cave system discovered in Mexicohttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/world-s-longest-underwater-cave-system-discovered-in-mexico
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/world-s-longest-underwater-cave-system-discovered-in-mexicoThe Gran Acuifero Maya (GAM), a project dedicated to the study and preservation of the subterranean waters of the Yucatan peninsula, said the 347-km cave was identified after months of exploring a maze of underwater channels.

The caves of Sac Actun - once measured at 263 km - and the 83km Dos Ojos system have a tunnel that connects them and following conventions the largest cave absorbs the small, so Dos Ojos becomes part of Sac Actun.

]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedThu, 25 Jan 2018 17:31:32 +00007 Signs You Need a Scuba Refresherhttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/7-signs-you-need-a-scuba-refresher
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/7-signs-you-need-a-scuba-refresherSure, you have a certification card, but that doesn’t always mean you’re feeling ready to dive. If it has been awhile since your last dive, you may be in need of a PADI ReActivate scuba refresher program. Here are seven signs to look for.You can’t find your C-card.

Sure, someone from the dive center can call PADI® to confirm you’re certified, but if you can’t find the card, that’s a sign that perhaps too much time has passed since your last dive.

You finally have a vacation planned and you want to dive.

You could spend precious time at your destination catching up on skills — or you could do that work with your hometown dive center.

It’s been a while since your last dive, and you will be diving with your kids.

“A lot of times, we are dealing with families that got certified together,” says Lyn Fishman, owner of Mid-Atlantic Scuba Center located in Bensalem, PA, outside Philadelphia. “One thing I remind parents before they get in the water is that they are going to be responsible for another person, and I ask if they feel up for it.”

If the answer is no, consider a refresher course.

]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedThu, 25 Jan 2018 16:29:25 +0000Palau: A Deluge of Lifehttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/palau-a-deluge-of-life
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/palau-a-deluge-of-lifeWe've arrived in the middle of a special weather advisory: downpours, gusting winds, the works. The unusual, unseasonal storm has pummeled the islands for days, and the dive staff have developed a sense of humor about the situation. One wannabe comedian cracks a joke as we lug our gear to the boat: "Sometimes they'll name a typhoon in retrospect. This might qualify." We respond gamely with the best laughs we can muster. The rain is coming down hard, and I put on my mask for the skiff ride.

As we motor through the iconic rock islands it doesn't take long for admiration to take hold. Palau is otherworldly beautiful. Even in the rain, even through a misty mask, the colors grab me and won't let go. It's as if a benevolent giant threw a handful of emerald-green marbles onto an impossibly turquoise backdrop. Underwater, the vivid splendor is magnified: The offshore waters are crystalline blue, the lagoon a rich aqua. Neon soft corals and anemones pop, while silvery barracudas and jacks shimmer. Sharks and mantas exude gravitas with their crisp monotones.

]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedThu, 18 Jan 2018 20:58:13 +0000Clipperton: A Plastic Paradisehttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/clipperton-a-plastic-paradise
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/clipperton-a-plastic-paradiseIsolated takes on a new meaning when after three straight days of sailing you're still more than 12 hours from your destination. This is the journey required to visit Clipperton, the most remote atoll in the world. The little dot in the Pacific is more than 750 miles away from Cabo San Lucas, our port of departure. It is almost 600 miles from the Revillagigedo Archipelago (Socorro Island), which is itself extremely remote by any normal standard.

Surrounded by coral reefs, Clipperton encloses a stagnant lagoon overgrown with algae on the surface and transected by a toxic layer of hydrogen sulfide at around 45 feet deep. I traveled to this atoll as part of the 2017 Big Migrations 2 Clipperton expedition team headed by Canadian explorers Michel Labrecque and Julie Ouimet. We carried Explorers Club Flag #93. For six days our team of 18 dived in Clipperton's waters and explored the almost eight-mile ring of land that makes up the island. This was more time than most people get at Clipperton, but it still didn't feel like nearly enough.

Clipperton’s reefs feature unique topography and many endemic species.When I first backrolled into the ocean, I was immediately surprised by the warmth of the water — 87°F at the surface, according to my computer. We reached the reef at about 45 feet and were greeted by a large school of black durgon (triggerfish) that glided over huge, round coral heads. Coral boulders extended as far as the eye could see, all accompanied by groups of brilliant red soldierfish and highlighted by purple coralline algae around the bases. Shelves of Porites coral also dominated the landscape, providing shelter for juvenile groupers and perches for coral hawkfish. A school of grunts swam through my frame, soon followed by a train of trevally, and a curious leather bass hovered in front of my dome port.

We saw three fish species that are endemic to Clipperton: the Clipperton angelfish (Holacanthus limbaughi), the Clipperton gregory (Stegastes baldwini) and the Clipperton fanged blenny (Ophioblennius clippertonensis). Sixty minutes flew by, and before I knew it we were doing our safety stop in the blue warmth of Clipperton's shallows.

The 2017 Big Migrations 2 Clipperton expedition team members remove an abandoned (“ghost”) fishing net fromthe reef. The team also collected almost two miles of longline and associated hooks and hardware.

]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedThu, 18 Jan 2018 20:52:11 +0000Porbeagle Sharkhttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/porbeagle-shark
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/porbeagle-sharkThe Porbeagle Shark, also called Lamna nasus, comes from the family of Lamnidae sharks. It is mostly found in cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. This is a species of the mackerel shark and is a close relative of the salmon shark. The Porbeagle can reach over 8 feet (2.5 meters) in length and can gain a weight of 135 kilograms or 298 pounds. They are normally white at the bottom and grey on top giving it some nice camouflage for hunting. When looking at the shark from above, it is difficult to locate because of the grey color against the sea bed. Looking upwards, the white color blends with the ocean surface.
]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedSat, 13 Jan 2018 23:37:11 +0000Where Do Basking Sharks Go In the Winter?https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/where-do-basking-sharks-go-in-the-winter
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/where-do-basking-sharks-go-in-the-winterShark scientists have questioned basking shark migration for decades, since an article in 1954 proposed that basking sharks, which were hardly seen once cold weather hit, hibernated on the ocean bottom during the winter. A tagging study released in 2009 finally revealed that basking sharks head south in the winter, further than scientists ever dreamed.

The basking sharks that spend their summers in the western North Atlantic are not seen in that area once the weather cools. It was once thought that these sharks might spend their winters on the ocean bottom, in a state similar to hibernation.

Scientists finally got a handle on this question in a study published in 2009 online in Current Biology. Researchers from the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries and their colleagues fitted 25 sharks off of Cape Cod with tags that recorded depth, temperature and light levels. The sharks swam on their way, and by wintertime, the scientists were surprised to find them crossing the equator - some even went all the way to Brazil.

While in these southern latitudes, the sharks spent their time in deep water, ranging from about 650 to 3200 feet deep. Once there, the sharks remained for weeks to months at a time.

Eastern North Atlantic Basking SharksStudies on basking sharks in the UK have been less conclusive, but the Shark Trust reports that the sharks are active all year and during the winter, they migrate to deeper waters offshore and also shed and re-grow their gill rakers.

]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedSat, 13 Jan 2018 23:29:41 +0000Top 5 Winter Diving Hotspotshttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/top-5-winter-diving-hotspots-1
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/top-5-winter-diving-hotspots-1While warm-water divers pack up their kit and hibernate for the winter, dry suit certified divers enjoy great diving and fewer crowds. Here are five destinations for your (insulated) bucket list.
]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedFri, 05 Jan 2018 23:14:39 +0000Six Reasons Why You Should Dive In The Winter (in Sydney!)https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/six-reasons-why-you-should-dive-in-the-winter-in-sydney
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/six-reasons-why-you-should-dive-in-the-winter-in-sydneySydney diving is not just a summer hobby. I LOVE diving in the winter, even though I’m an unashamed wimp when it comes to cold! I’m going to share my favourite things about winter diving, as well as some hints on keeping warm.

1. The visibility is better

During the winter, there are less algal blooms because the water is cooler. The prevailing winds and currents in winter also push cool clear water close to the coast. These factors result in more days of clear blue water in winter to give your dives that extra ‘wow’ factor.

2. Port Jackson season

The Port Jackson shark is endemic to temperate Australia, and during the winter months they come up from deeper waters into the shallows to mate and lay eggs. Unlike many sharks, they do not need to swim to breath. They have the ability to pump water through their gills whilst stationary so can frequently be seen resting on the sand.

]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedFri, 05 Jan 2018 23:04:45 +0000Key Largo - A legacy of marine conservationhttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/key-largo-a-legacy-of-marine-conservation
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/key-largo-a-legacy-of-marine-conservationSpring Break 1978 was one of the singular events that shaped my life. I was living in Colorado, perfectly happy with my Rocky Mountain high, and working in a photo lab to make a living. I had stayed in touch with a swim-team buddy from high school who was living in Key Largo, Fla. He worked as a treasure diver, and back then divers could still find booty and artifacts on the wrecks of the Spanish galleons that ran aground off the Upper Keys in 1733. I took a dive holiday to Key Largo that year, found I really enjoyed the diving and started thinking that I could make a living there. Lots of tourists were diving John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, and I thought if I were to open a little shop to rent underwater cameras and process E-6 slide film, maybe I could get by and enjoy the lifestyle for a year or two.

I moved to Key Largo in November of that year. It certainly never occurred to me then that this little island would be where I would meet my wife, where we would raise our daughter and where I would still be a member of the dive community four decades later. Some things have changed over the years, but the diving that enticed me — and makes Key Largo one of the world's most popular dive destinations — remains constant.
]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedWed, 27 Dec 2017 15:29:11 +0000Traveling Lighthttps://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/traveling-light-1
https://discoverydiving.com/easyblog/entry/traveling-light-1For most people, dive trips are about relaxing and enjoying yourself. While you can bring all your dive gear with you when you travel, this can be expensive, time-consuming and stressful.

Dive equipment can be rather heavy, bulky and inconvenient for airline travel. While innovations in materials and design have led to lighter and more packable gear, some products may not be as comfortable, durable or easy to use as standard gear.

At popular dive destinations around the world, much of the available rental gear is adequate. Although it is best to practice with your equipment and confirm comfort and fit before travel, this isn't always possible and may not be necessary for every piece of dive gear. Just make sure you are capable and comfortable with your equipment before you dive. Some gear, however, you'll definitely want to bring with you from home. Here are some considerations for traveling with various pieces of dive equipment.
]]>dive@discoverydiving.com (Discovery)UncategorizedWed, 27 Dec 2017 15:25:33 +0000